Account Director

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

The Director of Sales – Walmart/Sam’s Club leads cross functional teams to deliver business results across all customers in assigned channels. This position requires a vision to build and establish the overall sales strategy and execution process on behalf of Kerry Group to achieve both long-term and short-term business objectives. This individual will oversee the strategy and negotiation of annual agreements with assigned customers and with Partnering suppliers to ensure alignment and execution to achieve overall strategic objectives.  This position is based in the Bentonville, AR area.  

Key responsibilities

 

•     Provide strategic development of Annual and Long-Range Customer Plans to deliver annual Plan objectives for Volume, Net Revenue, Profit and Share within strategic categories.
•  Key advisor leading complex negotiations to deliver mutually beneficial agreements on behalf of Kerry Group.
•  Collaborates with customers to understand customer needs and develop fact-based consumer and shopper recommendations to accelerate category and Kerry Group growth.
•  Lead cross functional resources to deliver key operating metrics (Assortment, Pricing, Shelving, Merchandising, Innovation) for assigned accounts.
•  Lead the development and rollout of key business and financial metrics including topline results (volume, revenue share) and key financial metrics. In order to ensure Kerry Group continues to exceed customer expectations, the Director of Sales must lead the overall development of Walmart Inc team including on-going evaluation of structure, resources, and talent.
System Leadership
•  Negotiates and collaborates with customer and supplier partners to ensure alignment to annual plans.
•  Ensuring concise and timely communication, provide appropriate tools and execution tracking to Kerry Group team to ensure flawless execution of retail initiatives.
Cross Functional Collaboration
•  Operating cross-functionally with multiple internal departments to solve customer problems by providing insight and expertise to grow the Kerry Group portfolio with assigned customers.
•  Presenting customer updates and plans to Kerry Group senior management team on an ongoing and timely basis.
•  Lead for assigned customers all key sales and cross functional routines to drive execution and delivery of all customer and company objectives. Identify gaps in performance and develop action plans to address performance gaps.
•  Owns customer input and securing alignment on all commercial, Marketing and Innovation plans including strategy, tactics, and key execution requirements
Relationship Management
•  Own the development of top-level relationships across all functions and operating areas at all customers leveraging all available resources.
Organizational Development
•  Lead assigned sales teams and cross functional resources to deliver broad customer capabilities including selling skills, consumer and shopper insights, Consumer and Shopper Marketing and Revenue management capabilities.
•  Own performance and people management processes including annual objective setting and ongoing performance management processes for assigned team.
•  Ensure organization effectively manages all resources and deliver key financial goals on budget (T&E, Trade, etc.)

Qualifications and skills

•  Bachelor’s degree required
•  10+ years direct sales and management experience calling on National customers required •  Close proximity to the Bentonville, AR area required
•  Must be self-motivated and highly organized with a strong desire to produce results with an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed.
•  Must have a passion for building brands, new products, and long-term growth
•  Must demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities and a successful track record of managing and developing a team of seasoned professional sales executives
•  High level of analytical skills including working background with IRI and other syndicated data, and other sales reporting measures
•  Must be able to quickly assess the needs of the business, develop an action plan & manage the required change
•  Solid computer skills in Outlook, Power Point, Excel, and Word. Strong understanding and analytical skills in understanding of Nielsen/IRI syndicated data.
•  Position requires travel (20%)